John Steinbeck’s Grave: Where Bookworms Pay Tribute

Fans of John Steinbeck wondering where he is buried and how to visit can do so quite easily with a trip to Salinas, California, an easy day trip from San Francisco. 

As an avid literary traveler, I made the pilgrimage to visit all the John Steinbeck sights I could while in California recently. As part of that trip, I hunted down and paid my respects at Steinbeck’s grave. 

After all, I am all about uncovering hidden bookish destinations and sharing them with fellow literary minded travelers. Steinbeck is one of my favorite American authors, and it was a joy to uncover all the Steinbeck sights in California. 

Read on to find out how you can visit John Steinbeck’s grave site during your California travels.

Don’t forget to pin this post to reference later. 

Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.

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John Steinbeck’s Death

John Steinbeck died on December 20, 1968, at the age of 66. Steinbeck had suffered with ill health for years, in part due to his poor diet combined with smoking and drinking. Despite being counseled by doctors to change his ways, he claimed it was too late for him, and that he saw no point in changing himself so late in the game.

In Travels With Charley, a non-fiction account of a road trip he took across America with his poodle, Charley, he writes:

“I received the usual lecture about slowing up, losing weight, limiting the cholesterol intake… A kind of second childhood falls on so many men. They trade their violence for the promise of a small increase in lifespan.” 

He further expounds,

“I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard and too long… I did not want to surrender fierceness for a small gain in yardage. My wife married a man; I saw no reason why she should inherit a baby.”

And in case that wasn’t clear enough, he adds:

“In my own life, I am not willing to trade quality for quantity.”

Reader’s tip: Travels With Charley is one of my favorite, underrated Steinbeck works. Another of his books, Of Mice and Men, is one of my recommended classics for beginners.

John Steinbeck suffered a series of minor strokes and heart “episodes” throughout the 1960s. In December of 1968, he knew the end was near. Rather than dying in a hospital, he requested to stay in his home in New York City. His doctor gave him morphine to ease his passing, and he drew his last breath on December 20th. 

You can read his obituary in the Warren Times-Mirror and Observer for free online here.

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Related: For another literary pilgrimage, you can also visit the grave of F. grave of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald in a small churchyard in Rockville, Maryland. 

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How to find Steinbeck’s Grave

The Garden of Memories Memorial Park is found at 768 Abbott Street, Salinas, and is only open during daylight hours. It is an easy walk from the John Steinbeck House and Restaurant, so it’s easy to find ample street parking there and then walk to the grave site.

Once you’ve arrived at the cemetery, look for the vertical marker bearing the name Hamilton. It’s about halfway down the main road of the cemetery in the section with standing grave markers. Conveniently, there are a few unimposing signs pointing the way to Steinbeck’s grave, so keep an eye out for these. 

The Hamilton marker bears the names of Steinbeck’s grandparents, Samuel and Elizabeth Hamilton. Steinbeck’s parents and siblings are also buried in the same plot. John Steinbeck’s name appears on one of the horizontal grave markers beneath the Hamilton marker. 

Many bibliophiles make a pilgrimage to visit Steinbeck’s grave and leave mementos and tokens for the much beloved author. Don’t be surprised to find pencils, flowers, and/or handwritten notes laying on the grave, paying homage to the writer. 

“We should remember our dying and try to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.”

John steinbeck

Tips for visiting

Keep in mind that the cemetery where you will find the John Steinbeck grave is only open until dusk, so plan your time accordingly.

Any Steinbeck fan should also pay a visit to the National Steinbeck Center in downtown Salinas, a museum dedicated to the writer, his works, and his causes. And of course, don’t miss the John Steinbeck House and Restaurant (read my guide and plan ahead! Opening hours are very limited). 

You can also drive to Cannery Row in Monterey, the real-life location that inspired more than one Steinbeck novel.

All of this is easily doable in a one-day road trip from San Francisco, a very worthy destination for literary travelers. The drive is easy and scenic. You can check out car rental prices here. 

And if you’ve got time in San Francisco, don’t miss these Beat Generation sights  or these cool San Francisco bookstores.

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Well, that’s all the information you need to pay tribute at the graveside of a literary great.

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